Radio Merit Badge
Boy Scouts of America
Module 3 – Amateur Radio
BSA National Radio Scouting Committee 2012
Class Format
 Three modules – any order
 Module 1 – Intro To Radio
 Module 2 – Electronic
Components & Safety
 Module 3 – Amateur Radio &
Emergency Communications
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Key Topics in This Module
 9.a.(1) – Why does the FCC have an Amateur Radio
Service?
 9.a.(1) – Amateur Radio Activities
 9.a.(2) – Logging a Contact
 9.a.(3) – Q Signals & Abbreviations
 9.a.(4) – Amateur Radio Licenses
 9.a.(5) – Emergency Procedures
 9.a.(6) – Types of Amateur stations
 9.a.(6) – Repeaters
 NOAA Weather Radio
Why does the FCC have an Amateur
Radio Service?
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Volunteer service - (community service and disaster
help). A Scout does a good turn daily - here's another
way.
International goodwill - A great way to talk to people
in far away lands.
Experimentation - If you want, you can build your
own radio equipment, and many hams build their own
antennas. Some hams have come up with new
inventions, such as FM, SSB, Packet Radio, Automatic
Position Reporting Systems.
Communication skills - Because only one person
can talk at a time, you learn how to listen!
Self-training - You can learn by doing.
Requirement 9 a (1)
What is Amateur Radio?
Voluntary, non-commercial radio service established to:
 Increase the number of radio
and electronics experts
 Improve international goodwill
 Assist with emergency
communications
 Experiment with radio to improve technology
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Amateur Radio Activities 1
 DX
 Many hams talk to other hams around the world
 They can collect QSL cards (postcards) to prove they did it. (Collect
countries!)
 It's a great way to have fun and learn about geography.
 Contests
 Held many weekends to contact as many people from a certain place
or in a certain way.
 Packet radio
 Some hams hook computers to radios to send electronic messages.
 Rather like wireless e-mail.
Requirement 9 a (1)
Amateur Radio Activities 2
 Camping
 Communications are easy even in the backcountry
 Can summon help or report back how things are going.
 “Fox” hunting (Radio Direction Finding)
 Used to locate:
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Hidden transmitters
Tagged wildlife
Downed aircraft
Life rafts
Stolen cars
 Jamboree On The Air
 (JOTA) is the third weekend every October
when Scouts all over the world talk to each
other on ham radio.
Requirement 9 a (1)
Amateur Radio Activities 3
 Public Service
 At parades & special events.
 From small carnivals all the way to the Tournament of Roses Parade.
 Ham radio operators are often the best to help with communication at
large community events
 Disasters
 Hams are often called on to help during fires, floods, earthquakes, and
other disasters.
 At these times, telephone lines and cell phone sites are often
damaged or overloaded,
 Ham radio is the only reliable communication.
 Skywarn
 National Weather Service uses Hams to report severe weather .
Requirement 9 a (1)
Amateur Radio &
Emergency
Communications
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Cell Phones In The Wilderness
From the BSA Field Book, page 78…
“Likewise, wireless telephones can be a convenient
means for groups to contact emergency response
personnel, but phones are useless if they malfunction,
the batteries are exhausted, or distance and terrain
prevent clear reception of signals.
Frivolous use of wireless phones can seriously
diminish solitude, independence, and challenge in the
outdoors. If you carry a portable telephone, stow it
deep in your pack and bring it out only for emergency
calls.”
.
Cell Phones In The Wilderness
•Music
Player
•Idle ChitChat
•Video
Game
Emergency preparedness tool
 Keep packed away and
turned off
 Carry extra battery
 Respect serenity of outdoors
 Just because Scoutmaster has one
doesn’t mean YOU’RE prepared!
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BSA Field Book,
p78
Cell Phones In The Wilderness
From the chapter entitled
“Avoiding the Outdoor
Emergency”…
Wilderness Survival Merit
Badge Book, p 15
..
“Know how to increase your
phone’s signal strength by pointing the
antenna up, moving into a clearing,
gaining elevation, and turning your
body (you might be obstructing the
signal)…cell phones should never
replace preparedness.”
Cellular During a Disaster
Weakness
During widespread
emergency, Such as 9-11
or the 2005 London train
bombings, cell systems
busy out and become
unusable.
TRY TEXT
MESSAGES
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Emergency Communications
Athens Amateur Radio Club, Inc.
QST, April 2008, p 13
Sending Out An Emergency Call - Voice
 You may use any radio at
any time to get help during
an emergency
 “Break Break” followed by
your call sign to interrupt a
radio conversation in
progress
 “Mayday Mayday Mayday”
followed by your call sign to
call on a clear frequency
.
Emergency Radio Calls
 "MAYDAY" is the international word for requesting help by
radio.
 In the US, "EMERGENCY“ works too.
 In Morse code, send SOS ” ( . . . _ _ _ . . . ) slowly.
 Speak clearly and give complete information
 Similar to a 911 telephone call.
 Give detailed location of the emergency
 The person helping you on the radio may be in another state or even in
another country!
 Just because you have a radio doesn't mean someone will
be able to hear you.
 You might have to climb higher up a hill.
 FRS radios and cell phones have less power than ham radios.
Requirement 9 a (5)
Technology In The Wilderness
From the BSA Field Book, page 436…
“Many SAR teams use ham radio technology,
especially the two-meter band and the FCC
Technician license, to facilitate
communications.”
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Log Book Essentials
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Contact’s Name
Contact’s Call
Contact’s QTH (location)
Frequency
Mode
RST Sent (signal report)
RST Received (signal report)
Comments
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_________________
_________________
_________________
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_________________
_________________
_________________
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Requirement 9 a (2)
Q Signals and Amateur Terms
QRM
Man-made interference
QRN
Natural noise or interference
QRP
Low Power (< five watts)
QRS
Slow down Morse code speed
QRT
Quitting - off the air
QSB
Signal is fading
QSL
Acknowledge receipt (card)
QSO
Conversation ("cue-so")
QSY
Change frequency
QTH
Location (think H for Home)
Log
Record of QSOs
CW
Morse code (means Continuous Wave)
DX
Distant (foreign stations)
CQ
Calling any station ("seek you")
OM
Old man (male ham)
YL
Young lady (female ham)
Rig
Radio
Shack
Room the radio is in
HI
Laugh in Morse code
73, 88
Best regards, love and kisses
Requirement 9 a (3)
Licensing
 License required to
transmit, but not to
receive
 Tests given by
volunteer examiners
 No age limit
 No distance limit
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Amateur Radio License Classes
 Technician Class
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Starter license
Simple 35 question multiple-choice written test
All privileges above 30 MHz (VHF, UHF)
Mostly line-of-sight (but includes repeaters and satellites)
 General Class
 Standard license
 Additional 35 question multiple-choice test
 Adds HF (long distance)
 Extra Class
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Highest class of license
Detailed 50 question Radio Theory Test
A few more HF frequencies
Short Call Sign
Requirement 9 a (4)
Technician Class License
 Entry level license.
 35 question multiple choice test
 Theory, rules, & procedures
 Full VHF & UHF use
 communicate around town and use repeaters,
 cannot use some of the HF bands which are used for world-wide contacts.
 This merit badge covers about half of the license test!
 Books list all possible questions and answers.
 Practice tests can be found at:
 QRZ web page WWW.QRZ.COM
Requirement 9 a (4)
Who Administers Amateur Radio Exams?
 Hams called “Volunteer Examiners” administer the exams for
the FCC.
 Exam sessions and free study classes are run by local radio
clubs such as:
 The Warminster Amateur Radio Club
 www.k3dn.org
 The Delaware Valley Radio Association
 www.w2zq.com
 Lots of other information on ham radio can be found at the
ARRL web page:
 www.arrl.org
Requirement 9 a (4)
Ham Radio Station Types
 Handheld Transceivers (HT): Small, light, portable, but not much
power. Some can fit in your pocket. Using repeaters, they can be quite
useful, and they can go on your hike easily.
 Base Station Transceivers : Permanent station in a building. More
power, easier to use, more features.
 Mobile Transceivers : Permanent station in a vehicle. More power.
That HT antenna doesn't work well inside a metal car.
 Repeaters: Located on high points (Mountains, tall buildings,
satellites) to automatically relay signals. Some have connections to the
telephone system or the internet.
 Which kind of radio is best? It depends on what you want to do. You
wouldn’t backpack with a heavy base station radio, but that base
station radio will let you talk farther when you are at home.
Requirement 9 a (6)
Portable Operation
Fixed operation at a
location other than your
normal home station.
• Camp
•Field Day
.
•Emergency Drill
Requirement 9 a (6)
Types of Radios - Handhelds
•Bands – VHF / UHF
•Power – Up to 5 watts
•Range – 1 to 5 miles without
repeater, much more with repeater
•Price – $100 to $350
Single Band or Dual Band
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Base Station Operation
Operation at a fixed location, usually
your home.
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Types of Radios – Base Station
•Bands – HF (Sometimes VHF / UHF also)
•Power – Usually 100 watts
•Range – Worldwide
•Price – $700 to $10,000
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Two-Way Radio
More examples of radios that both transmit and
receive (two-way)
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Police / fire
Utilities
Businesses
WiFi
Cellular
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Mobile Operation
The ability to operate while in motion
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Types of Radios – Mobiles
Single Band
•Bands – VHF / UHF
•Power – Up to 50 watts
•Range – 5 to 10 miles without
repeater, much more with repeater
Dual Band
•Price – $150 to $500
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Family Radio Service (FRS)
FRS is a radio service in the UHF band for use by
the general public.
 14 channels ½ watt of output power
 Range limited to couple of miles line-of-sight
 No license required
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
 22 channels higher output power
 Range up to 10 miles, line of sight
 License required
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FRS + GPS = Garmin Rino
• GPS receiver for determining your
location
• FRS radio for voice communications
• Map showing your location and your
buddy’s location
• Radio sends out periodic location data
burst on voice channel
• Cost – $250 to $400 depending on
features
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Get On The Air For Free With Echolink
Free software lets you
link into distant
repeater towers over
an internet
connection
Only a computer,
headset and internet
connection required.
This is called VoIP
communications
www.Echolink.org
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Get On The Air For Free With Echolink
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Requirement 9 a (6)
Repeaters
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Receive on one frequency and transmit on another.
Usually in the VHF and UHF bands
Allow much longer range for small radios.
Located on mountains, towers, buildings and in
space.
Repeater
146.07 MHz
Input
146.67 MHz
Output
146.67 MHz
Output
146.07 MHz
Input
Requirement 9 a (6)
NOAA Weather Radio
 Continuous Weather Forecasts & Warnings
 162.55, 162.475, 162.40, 162.45, 162.50
MHz
 Essential for boating, hiking and camping.
 Most Ham radios can also receive this.
 Special SAME (Specific Area Alert Encoding)
receivers actually turn themselves on when a
warning is sent for your county!